Tesla heads to Mexico to find new engineering talent
This is happening because, allegedly, there isn't a big enough talent pool in the US.
Tesla is always quick to remind us that its vehicles are engineered and built in the US, but it's currently looking for new employees south of the border.
Tesla held a series of interviews in Monterrey, Mexico for new engineering talent, Reuters reports. The automaker is currently interviewing a number of potential Mexican engineers as, allegedly, the talent pool in the US isn't enough on its own.
The automaker did not immediately return a request for comment, but it declined comment to Reuters and also escorted journalists off the premises during its interviews in Monterrey.
Apparently, potential employees traveled as far as hundreds of miles to meet and interview with Tesla. Many also arrived thinking this was an open job fair, when it was actually a series of pre-arranged interviews that hopefuls had been working up to for weeks. Those who arrived on a whim were reportedly directed to send in their applications digitally.
Tesla will need all the help it can get over the next few years. It's slated to start production of its first "affordable" car, the Model 3, later this year. Tesla wants to bump production to 500,000 cars per year by 2018, which is no small feat for a company that only delivers tens of thousands vehicles per quarter at the moment.
While your Facebook-meme-sharing uncle might not realize it, Mexico is an excellent place to look for automotive engineering talent. A number of automakers have plants in Mexico, and they hire both engineers and assembly-line workers. Reuters talked to several applicants, some of whom have decades of experience.
The event was uncovered when Tesla's senior technical recruiter published a poster on LinkedIn, mentioning the types of engineers that the company is looking for.
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